Opening Scenes Quiz | Something in Common

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Two soldiers put on a Christmas Eve show for the rest of their unit during WWII

Answer: White Christmas

Successful entertainer Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) are the soldiers entertaining their mates. When Davis stops Wallace from being injured by a falling wall, they become partners after the war and are very successful. When they follow the Haynes sisters (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) to Vermont they find their old general has sunk his entire life savings into a ski lodge. Without snow, he stands to lose everything.
"White Christmas" was released in 1954.

2. A man dressed as Santa walks through hallways to the Christmas party of a toy manufacturer

Answer: The Santa Clause

Released in 1994, "The Santa Clause" stars Tim Allen as Scott Calvin, a man who accidentally commits to becoming Santa by putting on his suit after the current Santa fell off his roof and died. This makes Scott subject to 'the Santa clause'. His metamorphosis into the jolly old elf provides a lot of laughs. He finally comes to believe, through the help of his son Charlie.

3. People happily greeting each other at the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport

Answer: Love Actually

With an all star cast including (but not limited to) Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Bill Nighy, Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, Andrew Lincoln, Liam Neeson and Keira Knightley, "Love Actually" (2003) is a personal favourite. Set at Christmas time, it tells the stories of a number of loosely inter-connected people who are all dealing with the holiday season along with a few personal demons.

4. A large number of people are getting ready to go away while a "police officer" confirms that they won't be home over Christmas

Answer: Home Alone

Confusion surrounding too many people sees Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) left behind when his extended family leave for a Christmas holiday in Paris. Unfortunately the house has been cased by a pretend police officer (Joe Pesci) who has marked the house as being empty for the holidays. Only Kevin's resourcefulness keeps them from being robbed.
"Home Alone" was released in 1990.

5. An unhappy couple take their daughter to the airport

Answer: Christmas with the Kranks

Luther and Nora Krank (Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis) are unhappy about their only child going away for a year with the Peace Corps and not being home for Christmas. Luther suggests that they skip Christmas that year and go on a cruise instead. This proves to be a lot more difficult than they imagined as neighbours and friends rebel at their withdrawal from certain traditions. When their daughter announces that she's coming home after all, they have to pull it together in a hurry.
"Christmas with the Kranks" was released in 2004.

6. After panning through a darkened neighbourhood, we see young boy lying quietly in bed, waiting for the sound of Santa's arrival

Answer: The Polar Express

Released in 2004, "The Polar Express" is a computer-animated movie that stars the voice talents of Tom Hanks in many roles, including Santa Claus. A young boy, beginning to doubt, boards a train to the North Pole and experiences many adventures on the way. He finally meets Santa, who leaves him with a bell that can only be heard by believers.

7. A man with a white beard and a cane corrects a store worker on the placement of Santa's reindeer in a window display

Answer: Miracle on 34th Street

Released in 1947, "Miracle on 34th Street" stars Maureen O'Hara as a single mother trying to raise her daughter, played by a young Natalie Wood, to be sensible. This of course does not involve believing in Santa. Enter a man calling himself Kris Kringle, played by Edmund Gwenn, whose appearance makes him a natural to play Santa, even though he claims to be the real one.

A court case determines that if the U.S. Postal Service believes him to be Santa, then he must be.

8. We see a snowy sky and are gradually focused onto one specific snowflake which comes alive

Answer: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

As Anthony Hopkins reads (in voice over) the poem by Dr. Seuss, we zoom in on the town of Whoville (which exists on a snowflake) in preparation for Christmas, their favourite time of year. Up on the top of Mount Crumpit lives the Grinch (played by Jim Carrey), a former Who who exiled himself years before. The Grinch hates Christmas but is drawn back into the city by Cindy Lou Who, a young girl searching for the true meaning of Christmas, to almost disastrous results.
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was released in 2000.

9. The people of a town are praying for the welfare of one man and the angels in heaven discuss who will help him through his crisis

Answer: It's a Wonderful Life

George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, is a man whose dreams and plans have always taken second place to his duties and obligations. On Christmas Eve, with money missing and a bank audit happening, George hits rock bottom and considers taking his own life for the insurance money. An angel is sent down to help him and shows him what things would be like if he had never been born.
"It's a Wonderful Life" was released in 1946.

10. The narrator talks about his youth as we visit his old home on Cleveland Street

Answer: A Christmas Story

Released in 1983 "A Christmas Story" starts with the grown-up Ralph recalling that Christmas when he was a child and all he wanted for Christmas was a Red Ryder BB Gun, and his machinations to rise above the standard adult response of "you'll shoot your eye out". The movie provides a glance into life in the '40s, as seen through the eyes of kids.
The young Ralph was played by Peter Billingsley while Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin played his parents.

Source: Author skunkee

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Opening Scenes Trivia Quiz

See if you can match these popular Christmas movies with moments from their opening scenes. Some scenes (but not all) take place during the opening credits.

Questions		Choices
1. Two soldiers put on a Christmas Eve show for the rest of their unit during WWII		The Polar Express
2. A man dressed as Santa walks through hallways to the Christmas party of a toy manufacturer		A Christmas Story
3. People happily greeting each other at the arrivals gate at Heathrow airport		How the Grinch Stole Christmas
4. A large number of people are getting ready to go away while a "police officer" confirms that they won't be home over Christmas		Love Actually
5. An unhappy couple take their daughter to the airport		White Christmas
6. After panning through a darkened neighbourhood, we see young boy lying quietly in bed, waiting for the sound of Santa's arrival		Christmas with the Kranks
7. A man with a white beard and a cane corrects a store worker on the placement of Santa's reindeer in a window display		Miracle on 34th Street
8. We see a snowy sky and are gradually focused onto one specific snowflake which comes alive		It's a Wonderful Life
9. The people of a town are praying for the welfare of one man and the angels in heaven discuss who will help him through his crisis		The Santa Clause
10. The narrator talks about his youth as we visit his old home on Cleveland Street		Home Alone